1. Field of Invention
This invention is concerned with dynamic evaluation of a self-propelled vehicle drive train and more particularly with a non-contact vehicle drive train evaluation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dynamometers for measuring vehicle drive train performance have been available for years. The vehicle to be tested is driven onto the dynamometer with its drive wheels resting on the dynamometer rollers. Then the vehicle is accelerated and subsequently decelerated while certain tests are performed.
Dynamometers suffer from several problems. The dynamometer is very costly. It must be mounted in a fixed location. Dynamometers other than for cars and light trucks are not generally available. Thus it has been heretofore not possible to test the drive train of a large vehicle such as a truck, construction vehicle or track vehicle in a field location except by using mobile research dynamometers which are power absorbing devices permanently installed on a dedicated vehicle. The dedicated vehicle is towed by the vehicle under test. Such dedicated vehicles are exceedingly costly.